RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-07-20 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. William Alvin Johnston describes the Quesnel area before 1900. Mr. Johnston tells the story of how his father, W.A. Johnston, came to BC from Quebec in 1864. His mother, Rosalind Cadwell Crooker, came to the Nicola country in 1861. His father built a stopping house on Jackass Mountain, and later built a flour mill in 1884 and sawmills near Quesnel. He describes the Quesnel district; farms, roadhouses and the town itself. He tells the story of a murderer in 1848, the first miners; John Cameron Dunlevy and transportation; trails, steamers and mill ways.

TRACK 2: Mr. Johnston continues discussing railroads, the lumber industry and Johnston Flats. He discusses gold in the eastern Cariboo, the development of the Johnston Flats, near Quesnel; Jerome Harper, his childhood memories from the 1890s of school and the town of Quesnel. He mentions several people: James (Jim) Reed, John Cameron Dunlevy, John McLean and Bob McLeese. Finally, he describes Soda Creek.

The fonds consists of records created and acquired by W. Kimball Nichols between 1922 and 1967. The records include records created by his father, W.K. Nichols and consist of contracts, correspondence and reports from 1922 to 1929 of the Eagle Lake Spruce Mills Ltd. in Giscome BC. There is also a photograph showing a forest fire at Giscome BC ca. 1928. This company was managed by W.K. Nichols. The fonds also includes financial records of Beaver Pass Gold Placers of Wells, BC from 1951 to 1967. This gold mine was owned and operated by W. Kimball Nichols and W.E. North.

The fonds consists of an account book of the Vulcan Company.

The item consists of film footage from 1967. It shows people disembarking from a DC-3 at Quesnel Airport; cars leaving airport and on highway; signs for "Vigor Explorations Ltd." and "Hannandor Gold Ltd."; crossing log bridge; dredge bucket and sluicing operation; examining gold; panning for gold.

Report on the Oscar Henry Solibakke papers project submitted to the library of the University of British Columbia Special Collections Division and the British Columbia Heritage Trust Student Employment Programme. Prepared by Logan W. Hovis. Contains an inventory of the O.H. Solibakke papers held at Special Collections.

Presented by UBC . Special Collections Division, 1983.

The item is an audio recording of an interview with Thomas Windt in 1976.
T0454:0001 track 1: Mr. Windt discusses family background: father came to B.C. from Ontario in 1898; brought family to Pavilion in 1902; family background; settling the family ranch after 1902. Windt's early schooling. Food and supplies. Economic conditions of the family farm. Anecdotes about the Cariboo Road. Brother began freighting on the Cariboo Road in 1907. Description of freighting on the Cariboo Road between Ashcroft and Quesnel.
T0454:0001 track 2: Windt visited the grave of Cataline (Jean Caux) at Old Hazelton. Cataline described. Experiences freighting on the Cariboo Road with wagons and sleighs. Details about wagons, sleighs and horses.

T0454:0002 track 1: Description of freighting on the Cariboo Road. Horse medicine. Steamers on the Fraser River between Soda Creek and Quesnel. Anecdotes about local policeman, Dave Anderson. Canoe travel on the Fraser River. More about freighting on the Cariboo Road. Anecdotes about Charlie Ross of Soda Creek. Other anecdotes about local characters.
T0454:0002 track 2: Windt worked at Antler Creek (near Barkerville), 1924-28. Techniques of working with a dredge described. During the Depression, Windt mined gold on the Fraser River. Chinese along the Fraser described. Comments about the changes in the Indigenous population.

T0454:0003 track 1: Freighters on the Cariboo Road described. In response to a list of former freight drivers on the Cariboo Road, Mr. Windt describes them and relates anecdotes and stories about freighting, freighters A - G.
T0454:0003 track 2: freighters G - Z.

SUMMARY: "The Overlanders" by George Woodcock is a dramatic narrative about the Cariboo gold rush and the individuals who undertook the hazardous journey to the gold fields. The play runs short (41:45), and th;e program is filled out with Pierre Mercure's "Divertissement for String Quartet and String Orchestra".;